Ink-blotter



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. L. s. SMITH.

INK BLOTTER. No. 374,713. Y Patented Dec. 13, 1887.

Witmeww N. PETERS. PMRv-Ulhognphor. wiihillgwn, DC

(No. Modl.)

2 Sheets-Sheet; 2. L. 8. SMITH.

INK BLOTTER.

Patented Dec. 13, 1887.

351 alien lug N. PETERS. EMb-Lmgnpbar. WilllinRhm llC.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

L. STARR SMITH, OF SILVER CITY, TERRITORY OF NEW MEXICO.

lNK-BLOTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 374,713, dated December 13, 1887.

Application filed June 20,1887. Serial No. 241,898. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, L. STARR SMITH, of Silver City, in the county of Grant and Territory of New Mexico, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ink -Blotters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertaius to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in ink-blotters, and more particularly to an improvement in the construction of a device of this character for which Patent No. 309,892 was issued to me on the 30th day of December, 1884. In this patented device anjimproved form of blotter is shown, in which the blotter is adapted to be worn on the hand of the penman, preferably the hand employed in writing, so that the blotter will always be ready for use close to the wet sheet, and in this way economize time, as well as facilitate the work of writing, by speedy blotting of finished work with this ready and convenient appendage.

In the patented device above mentioned I exhibit a blotter composed of a foundationsheet, so called, as it is nearest the hand of the wearer and adapted to receive the strapfastenings, as well as the bands that hold in place the absorbing-paper or blotter material. There was also one longitudinal main band shown, and a thumb-loop to hold the blotter in proper adjusted position on the palm of the hand of the penman. It has been found in practice that the means of attachment were not .as perfect as is desirable; also that other means of clamping a blotter sheet or pad may be utilized with good effect. A I

With a view to correct deficiencies in my patented device and further'perfect it, my

present invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts,that will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings making a part of .thisspecification, Figure 1 is a view of the blotter in position on the hand of a writer.

Fig. 2 shows a different position of the hand and an attached blotter while the user of the device is writing. Fig. 3is a view of the inside of the hand on which a blotter is secured.

the lower side of the foundatioupiece of the blotter, having the connecting-bands attached to it, the blotter-pad being removed to expose the foundation and show the means of attaching the bands to it. Fig. 6 is a view of the blotter pad or strip removed from its place on the foundation. Figs. 7 and 8 are views of the blotter, showing two methods of connecting the foundation-piece of the blotter with the porous ink-pads. Fig. 7 shows clips of metal, and Fig. 8 elastic bands to hold one or more ink-absorbing pads in contact with the foundation-piece. Fig. 9 represents the preferred form for attaching the porous pad to the foundation-piece.

A represents the foundation-piece of my improved blotter, it being made of convenient form and such relative proportion of length and width as to properly adapt it for its designed uses. I prefer to make this foundation-piece A of an elastic material that has sufficient stability to retain the device in proper shape and yet permit it to yield and conform to the shape of the inner portion of the palm of the hand of the wearer to a certain degree, and by its limited pliability afford a good surface contact with the written sheet when pressed upon it. It is obvious that the shape of this piece may be varied without materially affecting its efficiency; but for economy of material and convenience of manufacture I prefer to make the foundationpiece and attached blotter's rectangular and of a width to extend with its upper edge across the median line of the palm, the lower edge being about in a line with the'junction of the palm with the wrist, this conformation giving the best results as to convenience for use and avoiding clumsiness of shape, that would embarrass the user. This form of the foundation is plainly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. v

I do notwish to restrict myself to any particular substance for the manufacture of the foundatioirpiece A, as several different wellknown materials may be employed with good results for instance, leather of different styles of finish, vulcanized rubber, pliable pasteboard, fibrous fabric, &c.; but I prefer to use a heavy parchment paper or'similar substance as cheaper than theother mentioned materials and affording equally as good results. The foundation-piece A may be made of a single thickness of stud, or it may be] folded to obtain the necessary stability of form from thinner material, and the top surface of this foundation may have an orna-' otherwise fastened to the adjacent surface of the foundation in a manner to leave the ends of the folds open and thus allow the ends of the blotter-pad to enter the space between the folded sides of thefoundation-piece, as will behereinafter explained more fully.

Various methods may be employed of attaching the bands B E to the foundationpiece A, so as to render them secure. I prefer to cut transverse slits in this piece A, to permit the bands to be inserted or woven through these several slits, and in this manner hold the bands in placewithout other fastening being necessary. The band B,which is made to encircle the hand of the user of the blotter, is extended from one end to the other of the blotter, and the slits 1 2 3 4, &c., are made transversely in the foundation material A to permit the location of the band B near 7 the lower edge of the blotter when in position on the hand of the wearer, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The band B is of such relative length as to permit it to be attached to hands of different sizes, and to afford a means of convenient application of the device and adjustmentto suit varying widths of hands a buckle, a, is affixed to one end of this band B, the free opposite end of the band being inserted through the bow of the buckle to contract the band upon the hand and cause the blotter-pad to assume a proper form for ready use.

In order to render the device self-conforming to a certain degree, I prefer to use an elastic woven tape or fabric for the bands B and E. The band E is given a position parallel to the band B, and is also inserted through slits made in the foundation-piece A, to permit its end b to have a buckle, 9, attached and connect with the opposite end, b. The band E is intended to encircle the hand of the writer immediately above the thumb, and from its position and coaction with the band B hold the blotter securely on the ball of the thumb across the palm, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. To efl'ect this relative position of the band E, its point of insertion K through the foundationpiece A is preferably made near the center of this piece, considered lengthwise. The adj ustment for varying widths can be made by the buckle g and free end of the band E in an obvious manner.

The form of the ink-absorbing pad D is shown in Fig. 6, and consists simply in a rectangular strip of the porous paper usually employed, this being cut of suitable width and length to suit the size of the foundatlonpiece A.

The absorbing-pad D may be secured to the foundation A in several ways-as, for instance, one or several of these pads or blotter-pieces may be held in place by a metallic clip bent to suit the width of the blotter and folded down to clamp the foundation-piece and blotter pad or pads together, one of these metallic clips being. placed at each endv of the blotter, as shown at D in Fig. 7, the ink-absorblng pads D being made sufficiently long to be folded at the ends, as shown in Fig. 6. Another man ner of connecting the pad D and foundation A is shown in Fig. 8, in which the folded ends of the ink-absorbing pad D are inserted between the folds of the foundation-piece and secured in place by an elastic band made to encircle this folded foundation-piece and the inserted pad D, so as to leave the lower surface of the pad free for use without theobstruction of a clamp at the end of the same.

A preferred method of connecting the absorbent blotter-pad D to the foundatiompiece A is shown in Fig. 9, and has already been alluded to in my description of this foundation-piece. In this form of construction of the blotter the porous paper has its folded ends cut sloping, so as to enter easily between the folded portions of the foundation-piece at Its ends, the simple insertion therein of these ends securing the blotter-pad in contact with the foundation without clips or bands to hold it.

Any number of the blotter-pads D may be placed one upon the other and secured to the foundation-piece, as previously described, to afford a proper absorbent surface for the ink, which may be renewed if several thicknesses of the blotter-pad are provided by simply removing a worn-out pad and thus exposing a fresh one; or, in case there is a single pad connected with the foundation-piece A, when it is filled with ink and is no longer available as a blotter, it may be taken off by slipping its ends from their position between the folds of the foundation-piece and a new blotter-pad inserted, as has been explained.

Many slight changes might be made in the constructive features of this device without departure from its spirit and scope; hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact forms shown. I

In all cases and in all the modifications of the device herein described the pad D is outside of the folds of the foundation except in the form in which the foundation is so constructed as to be hollow or have an open space on the inside of it extending the whole length of the foundation and about the width of the ICO ' I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An ink-blotter consisting, essentially, of a flexible foundation-piece, an ink-absorbing pad, the ends of which lap the ends of the foundation-piece, and a set of bands whereby the blotter is secured to the hand.

2. In an ink-blotter to be worn on the hand, the combination, with a flexible foundationpiece and an attached ink-absorbing pad, of

2 a band that encircles the hand above the thumb, and a band that surrounds the hand at or near the wrist, substantially as set forth.

3. In an ink-blotter to be worn on the hand, the combination, with a flexible foundationpiece made of single or doubled material, and

3o tially as set forth.

4. In a blotter to be worn on the hand, the combination, with a foundation-piece having two elastic bands attached to it, whereby this foundation is attached to the hand, of an attachable blotter-pad composed of one or more 3 5 pieces of porous paper, substantially as set forth.

5. In a blotter to be worn on the hand, the combination, with a foundationpiece, two elastic bands, and buckles on these bands, of 40 a porous ink-absorbing pad secured to the foundation-piece by any proper means, sub stantially as set forth.

6. In an ink-blotter to be worn on the hand, the combination, with a folded foundation- 4,5 piece and a porous ink-absorbing pad inserted between the folds of the foundation-piece, of two elastic bands having buckles, one band secured to the blotter to have contact with the hand above the thumb and the other near the wrist, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

L. STARR SMITH.

Witnesses:

THOMAS W. J ONES, FRANK B. GoDwIN. 

